The fact that Jeff Lemire’s Black Hammer has an annual when most Dark Horse comics don’t shows just how fully committed he is to his superhero-driven world which pays homage to Golden Age comics, while turning the idea of what a superhero is later in life on its head. This world is almost analogous to what it’s like for an older ballet dancer or football player. In your prime, you were amazing. As you age, once all of those beatings your body has taken set in, you just don’t work as well. In Black Hammer, for this group of aging superheroes trapped on a strange farm, it’s both physical and psychological scars they have to deal with.

Long before the time of books, radio, television, and video games, people were telling stories. So many of these stories have been told so many times that they share common elements, but the twist of one fact could change the course and create an entirely new tale. That’s part of the difficulty of trying to bring one of these old tales to light, as people can sometimes lose focus, feeling that they know just where the story is going and may miss the truth that lives within it.

Marc Jackson has created a weird, silly, and humorous take on space exploration. Your imagination can’t prepare you for the shenanigans the main character finds himself in. Not only will you wonder where this story is going, you might wonder how a simple run to the local space market, looking for “blue milk,” could go quite so awry.

First encounters with alien species might seem like an entertaining prospect. There is a romanticized quality from major franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars, yet history proves this is not always the case. In particular, the recent introduction of “Engineers” from the film, Prometheus, proves that discovering new life can be absolutely terrifying.

When I first heard about the massive crossover that Top Cow Productions was undertaking with the release of Eden's Fall, a series that would take three of their top titles (Postal, The Tithe ,and Think Tank) and place them all together, I was incredibly excited. The company, along with fearless leader Matt Hawkins, has always been one of the more interesting smaller publishers on the market, taking big chances with very unique titles. It seemed only fitting that they take all of their work and fold them into one another, something that could lead to a wholly new kind of crossover.

The Deep is an all-ages adventure that gets it right with the first issue. This currently formatted six-issue series, which can also be seen as an animated series on Netflix, presents a fun glimpse into the ever-wondrous world of the deep blue sea.

Pending death by monstrous creatures while equally trying to survive an endless wasteland with an unrelenting blizzard might not seem like a valid, five-star vacation, or adventure for that matter, but for those familiar with the world of Dungeons & Dragons, it might be a quest for the ages.

The first story arc, “The Hunt for the Dire Beast,” is concluding with issue five of Battlecats, a digital comic book series from Florida-based Mad Cave Studios. In fact, it is hard to believe but it was a year ago that I reviewed the premiere issue of this series. Hopefully, you have been following the progress of my reviews and perhaps even started reading the series yourself. In case you are not familiar with the series, this is an epic fantasy tale that follows a squad of warrior cats – Battlecats, in case you didn’t catch the titular title – who have been sent on a quest by King Eramand III to return with the head of the kingdom’s arch nemesis, the La Marque dire beast.

Do you love zombies? Whether your answer is yes or no, wouldn’t you agree you would prefer to be chased by the likes of the Night of the Living Dead? Their pace was somewhat of a leisurely jaunt compared to more recent alternatives. It would have to be a better circumstance than trying to outrun one in Zombieland. If you’re still unsure about what kind of undead you’d rather be surrounded by in a zombie apocalypse, then perhaps you should check out the opening sequence to Dawn of the Dead. Have you been convinced that the slower-paced “walking dead” would be the better choice?

“Step up into my greenhouse and speak your names.”“Michael Nettles.”“I see Flames and blood.”“Gerard Duffy.”“I hear screams and dying… Your past is your past. You know why you are here, as do I… Once you cross my threshold and enter my home, there are only three things I require of you. There shall be no violence, no lying, and no lateness. Break one of these and you forfeit your right to remain here…Welcome to my home.”